Combined shaft key and key extractor



Jan. 18, 1949. c. M. FARRINGTON 2,459,221

COMBINED SH AFT KEY AND KEY EXTRACTOR Filed Dec. 31, 1946 3Mmm- CHARLOTTE M. P40001670,

Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE- COMBINED SHAFT KEY AND KEY EXTRACTOR Charlotte M. Farrington, Flint, Mich.

Application December 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,434

3 Claims.

I My invention relates to a combined shaft key and keyextractor.

. An important object of my invention is to provide a shaft or machinery key, designed to eliminate the usual difiiculty encountered when such keys are removed from assembled machinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined shaft key and key extractor, which is unitary, and adapted for use on machinery of various kinds and with shafts of various sizes.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned class, which is simple, durable, adaptable to many applications, and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the combined shaft key and key extractor embodying my invention, and illustrating the same in use,

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the device in use, and showing extractor bolts in position for being applied to the device,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, parts omitted, and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the combined shaft key and key extractor with extractor bolts in position.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 6 designates a fiat circular disc or plate, having a large central opening I, a pair of radially disposed laterally spaced screw threaded openings 8, and a small countersunk opening 9 arranged radially with respect to opening 1 and oppositely from the screw threaded openings, and spaced equidistantly between such openings. The disc or plate 6 has a rectangular groove or slot l formed in its periphery, and this slot is arranged equidistantly from and between 6 having the countersunk opening 9, and the key I l extends axially of the disc 6, see Figure 4. The top surface of the key II, as viewed in Figure 4, is flush with the periphery of the circular disc 6. The device thus formed, when the key II is secured to the disc 6, is a unitary shaft key and key extractor.

In Figures 1 and 2, the device is illustrated in use for keying a gear I2 upon a shaft l3. The gear I2 has an internal axial rectangular keyway i4, and the shaft has a similar external keyway H5. The two keyways l4 and !5 are brought into registration, and the key H is inserted within them from the end of the shaft. The disc 6, adjacent to the end of the key ll may be tapped with a. hammer, or the like, to facilitate inserting the key into the keyways. When the key II has been fully inserted, and the disc 6 comes into engagement against the outer end of the shaft 1 3, a fiat headed screw It, or the like, is employed to secure the disc 5 to the shaft. The screw threaded opening formed in the end of the shaft l3, in which the screw l6 engages, is preferably provided. at assembly. With the gear I2, or the like, thus assembled and keyed on to the shaft l3, there is no danger of the key working out in use.

When it is desired to remove the key II, for disassembling the gear [2 from the shaft l3, extractor bolts l'! are employed. These bolts l1 engage within the screw threaded openings 8 of the disc 6, and their inner or forward ends are brought into engagement against the end of the shaft l3, when the bolts are screwed inwardly. As the bolts l1 are further tightened, the disc 6 is pulled outwardly away from the end of the shaft 13, and the key H is likewise pulled outwardly and extracted from within the keyways l4 and [5. Obviously, before the key H is thus extracted, the screw Iii must be removed. When the combined key and key extractor has been removed from the shaft, no obstruction remains to prevent the disassembling of the gear, or the like, therefrom. It should be mentioned that the position of the screw threaded openings 8 upon opposite sides of the key I l, and their position upwardly to bring them near the key II is important for facilitating the extracting of the key II from the keyways. As the bolts 11 are tightened upon opposite sides of the key H a substantially uniform axial pull upon the key is obtained. The opening I in the disc 6 is provided so that any end extension or hub, which might be formed on the end of the shaft employing this device will not interfere with the arrangement of the disc 6 against the end of such shaft. The extension orhub carried by such a shaft, would pass into the opening 1, and consequently would not interfere with the assembling of the disc 6 and key II. In use, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the extractor bolts ii are removed.

This device can be produced in various sizes for various"applications.a. It canbezus'edoh heavy machinery; -automotive equipmenty and 'the like, or in small applications it may be used with the smallest of shafts and keyways.

It is to be understood that the-. formioftmyeinvention herewith shown and described. is 120 1-118 taken as a'preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shapeysize'and arrangement of parts may be resorted tomvithout departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I 'claimiis:

31. A combined vshaft keymandnkey -..extractor, comprising a fiat iidiSCi having spaced. screw threaded openings, .a small :opening. .and. ammotangular opening disposed [on a :diametr-ical .line .equi spaced from said threaded .openings, nsaid rectangular openings being arrangedonztheesa-me side of the-'centercof the disc :asisaidfthreaded openings andasaid :small opening beingizarranged on the opposite side of the center, .and aierec- 'tangular key rigidly secured-.withinitherectangular :opening and extending taXia-lly, of the '[disc.

:..2". A combined shaft' key and key extractor'for use ,in-'re1easab1y-locking ail-gear having- QLZRBY- way to the end ofa shaft.having:a'iregistering 'keyway comprising, in combination, a .i'i key adapted to be inserted .intmsaid registering likeywaystolock the gear toztthe:shaftrforrotation therewith, and a flat :diskt arranged:in rface. :ad-

jacencytotsaid end "of v.the-rshaft.andrsecured.on

the peripheral edge ortion thereof .to-asaidrkey, csaidsdisk having a pair 'ofrspaced;threaded:openings arranged-therein on the'same s-idexof center thereof as said key, :said threadedeopeningsextending". through theadiskrto 13116 fen-d :face fof said shaft whereby uponsthreading: a pair of :bolts respectively into said threaded openings theibolts 'move: into'. abutting engagement: with :the of the shaft and cause the disk to be moved axially away from the end of the shaft to remove the key therefrom upon further screwing the bolts into the disk. 7

3. A combined shaft key and key extractorfor use in 'releasably locking a gear having an internal rectangular keyway to the end of a shaft having a registering external rectangular key- -waykcomprising;ein combination; ctaneuiar key *adapted cto be inserted i n ea keyways thereby to lock the gear for rotation wextending axially of the disc whereby the disc' 3 is arranged in face adjacency to the face of the --gear'and'"to*the end of the shaft when the key 7: is -winser-ted. in.said keyways, said disc having a small opening arranged therein in diametrically 'opposed'relation with respect to said key, said opening being arranged-fin registered engagement with: a: threaded mpening inctherentkiaf the :slraft, a small screw inserted in saidmpeningzinttheidisc for; threaded r'engagementrmth arisaidiethreatied :openingriinlthecshaftatlrereby to 586M126 the'sdisc theretosandztoametain;theikeyeimathefieyw yszea pair cit-laterally spaced threaded openings imt-he disc arranged on the same side of centeii ithemof asnthetkeyand rspaced equii rdistantzfmma'iihetriiametrioalidine .extending ,ebetween'iitheirieeyezand .said'ismaihopzemngnrr thendiscgmnd a;pairxofcbolts adapted to: b iihreaiddlyi receivIed-iimisaifi threadaed openings wrespectivelycrandsscrewediintoeabutvting:= engagement with, the rendnrof: thenishaft wherebyzthe key-:maygbeeextnactedrfmmzithedtew ways 211130112 furtherctighteningrof ithe boitsiaiter first removing said small screw.

ton-Annom rnzmirnnnrnerom a-neaemznosstonean "The following references-rare"of reeord inithe file l of this patient: 7

. UNITED-,. STATES.EAZIENTS registering 

